Luweero Woman MP polls: voters cast ballot

May 22, 2014

Voters in Luweero cast their ballot on Thursday in a by-election to fill the vacant woman MP seat in a two-horse race pitting the NRM flag-bearer, Rebecca Nalwanga, against the DP’s Brenda Nabukenya.

By Frederick Kiwanuka

LUWERO - Voters in Luweero cast their ballot on Thursday in a by-election to fill the vacant woman MP seat in a two-horse race pitting the NRM flag-bearer, Rebecca Nalwanga, against the DP’s Brenda Nabukenya.

The two candidates are in a race with two independents, namely, Farida Namubiru and Ramula Kadala.

By the end of the campaigns on Tuesday, it was obvious the race was between Nalwanga of the ruling party and Nabukenya, who is backed by all the main opposition political parties.

In the runup to the polls, both the NRM and the DP claimed they are confident of victory.

Nabukenya predicted a landslide victory during a press conference Wednesday while the Luwero district chairperson and NRM vice-chairperson (Buganda) Abdul Nadduli, predicted a “decisive win” for Nalwanga.

The Police spokesperson for Savannah region that includes Luwero, Lameck Kigozi, said the Police had taken all the necessary precautions to ensure a peaceful election exercise.

During a press conference held in Luwero, Kigozi said the Police would deploy at all the 375 polling stations in the district.

He said over 500 armed Police officers and an unidentified number of plain-clothes officers would be deployed at each of the polling stations. There will also be officers on patrol in all the sub-counties.

The Police ferried in more anti-riot equipment, including fire extinguishers, teargas just in case there is violence.

The Electoral Commission Wednesday dispatched election materials to the various sub-counties.

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DP's Brenda Nabukenya casts her vote. PHOTO/Roderick Ahimbazwe

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Luweero voters queue to cast their ballot on Thursday. PHOTO/Roderick Ahimbazwe

Today’s byelection marks the end of a 26-day electoral process that has been characterised by accusations and counter-accusations.

The Woman MP byelection ran alongside that of lower local government to fill vacant posts in sub-county and district councils.

The district has 13 sub-counties and town councils.

“Some of us have already pitched camp here. Others are on the way coming,” Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago said Wednesday at an impromptu press conference attended by Nabukenya and several DP leaders.

Nabukenya’s camp said it would deploy a team of 30 opposition MPs to ensure that there is no rigging.